4 ms·

What about nylonase?

• btilly 7y ago
  The rate of potential mutation in a species is tied to the reproduction rate. Evolution in bacteria can therefore happen much more quickly than in larger organisms. Evolution in viruses is quicker still. (The flu that comes around each year is noticeably evolved from last year's one. In particular it is bred to avoid triggering immune system responses to recent flu variants.) Crabs can't evolve at anything like the rate of bacteria.
  • achillesheels 7y ago
    So you predict extinction instead of adaptation or rather speciation (new cell lines resilient in a new environment which form a distinctly new genome)?
    • btilly 7y ago
      On current projections of ocean acidification, extinction is inevitable for this type of crab. The only news here is that they have actually been measured to be impacted at rates that they were predicted to be impacted. The overall conclusion of what will happen is not changed.
      • achillesheels 7y ago
        This is where I would disagree with your belief that mutations are caused by replication rates rather than environmental feedback responses. The bandwidth of environmental sampling of larger species such as these crabs permits greater adaptability in near-future generations. I speak specifically to metabolizing de novo proteins in this novel environment which promote cellular replication stability, ie survival, eg enteric coatings. I think you presuppose climate change is a disaster in your extinction judgment rather than a transient response to human industrialization.